Means for the removal of obstructions and material accumulations



May 21, 1957 H. OEVTIKER 2,793,033 MEANS FOR'THEZ REMOVAL OF OBSTRUCTIONS AND MATERIAL ACCUMULATIONS Filed Dec. 15, 1953 United States Patent l MEANS FOR THE REMOVAL OF OBSTRUCTIONS AND MATERIAL ACCUMULATIONS Hans Oetiker, St. Gallen, Switzerland, assignor to Gebrueder Buehler, Uzwil, Switzerland, a company of Switzerland Application December 15, 1953, Serial No. 398,385

Claims priority, application Switzerland December 16, 1952 1 Claim. (Cl. 302-35) This invention relates to a method and means for the removal of temporary obstructions or material accumulations occurring in pneumatically or vacuum operated delivery and transporting conduits, tubes and the like.

The fact that these pneumatically operated delivery conduits become inoperative due to the formation of obstructions or material accumulations is often experienced and many devices have therefore been developed toeliminate the same. However, all the known devices of the above noted type require service personnel for the removal of the obstructions and are not equipped with automatically operative means to serve this purpose.

It is the foremost object of the invention to eliminate this very unsatisfactory situation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means whereby obstructions and material accumulations occurring in the pneumatically operated conduits and tubes for the transport of materials are automatically removed.

With this purpose in view flaps are provided in the pneumatically operated conduits, tubes and the like to eliminate these obstructions, cloggings and blockages, these flaps being automatically operable to introduce air into the conduits at a place which is successively or subsequently located relative to entry place of the materials, these flaps being equipped to be automatically operated.

The invention will now be described more in detail and with reference to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an obstruction or accumulation releasing device constructed in conformity with this invention; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a further modification thereof.

Numeral 1 of Fig. 1 denotes a vertical transport conduit which is pneumatically operated in the well-known manner by a blower attached to the upper end of the tube not shown in the drawing since the blower sucking air in the direction of arrow may be of any customary type. The materials (not shown) to be pneumatically transported are entered by means of an inclined tube 2 in the direction of arrow 17. The charged pulverulent material is mixed with air in the vicinity of rotatable flap 3 which is loaded by a load 4 the latter being displaceably located on the lever 18.

The quantity of the materials to be thus transported may be controlled by the displacement of the weight 4.

The flap 5 serving to eliminate the obstructions and material accumulations is located successively to the inlet place of the materials and is also loaded by a weight 6 which is displaceable upon a lever 19.

2,793,083 Patented May 21, 1957 ice During the normal progress of the work the flap 5 is closed. If an interruption of the work occurs caused by an accumulation of the fed material above its inlet place, the flap 3 will be closed; the vacuum in the transport conduit 1 above the material accumulation will be increased accordingly and the flap 5 reacts to the increased vacuum by being opened whereby air enters. The air entering through flap 5 upwardly now sucks a certain amount of the stuck material and normal pressure and transporting conditions are soon restored; now the flap 5 again closes.

In the case of formation of exceptionally large obstructions and accumulations a series of successive flaps 5 may be provided in tube 1 whereby, for the time being, only the flap opens which is located nearest to the blower and still is subjected to the influence of the pressure conditions caused by the accumulations or obstructions. By means of this flap a portion is withdrawn of the material; now the next flap commences to function which draws another portion of the stuck materials; the procedure is repeated until the total obstruction or material accumulation is removed.

The device shown in Fig. 2 is operated as follows:

The materials to be transported are entered into the funnel-shaped end 7 of the transport conduit 1 and are supplied from a depot 8 which may be closed by a flap 9.

. A fiap 10 successively arranged to the inlet into the conduit 1, is functionally connected with membrane 11 located in a control box 12. Membrane 11 divides the box 12 in two chambers 15 and 16. Chamber 15 is connected through tube 13 and chamber 16 is connected through tube 14 with sections of the conduit 1 located above and beneath the valve flap 10.

If an obstruction or accumulation of the transported material occurs in tube 1 a differential pressure is produced at the two branching-01f places of the tubes 13 and 14, which is higher as the normal differential pressure and a lower pressure results in tube 13, since its branching-01f place is located nearer to the blower.

The membrane 11 and flap 10 are so adjusted that upon transgression of the normal pressure difference, corresponding to the normal transport condition-s, the flap 16 is pulled to the left by the membrane 11 and air enters through the thus created opening into tube 1. The inflowing air causes a lift of the accumulated material from tube 1 until this accumulation is eliminated.

Also with this modification of the invention a succession of devices, as shown in Fig. 2, may be installed; moreover, the air may be entered at different places into the transport conduit.

Since certain changes in carrying out the above invention could be made Without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:

A device for the removal of obstructions and material accumulations in suction-operated transport conduits comprising an inlet opening for said materials into said conduits, at least one movable flap automatically reactive upon changes of the air pressure in said conduits adapted to be automatically opened by the reduced air pressure caused by the creation of an obstruction and to be closed again upon removal of the latter, a control box located alongside said conduit, a membrane dividing said box into two chambers, a first tube connecting one of said chambers with said conduit at a place betWeen said inlet opening and said flap and a second tube connecting the second charnber with said conduit at a place successive to said flap, said membrane being connected with said flap to open and close said flap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS Miller et al June 12, Newhouse Apr. 3, Smith Feb. 7, Sanford Oct. 19, Newman Dec. 21, Class Jan. 18, Bearer Dec. 20, 

